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North Carolina Won't Certify GOP Congressional Candidate as Winner

Democrat Dan McCready conceded the congressional race in North Carolina's 9th District on Nov. 9, but the state elections board today refused to certify victory for Republican Mark Harris.

The Associated Press also retracted its projection of a GOP win, with Harris leading McCready by 905 votes in the unofficial tally of nearly 283,000 ballots cast.

Harris, a Baptist pastor, defeated incumbent Rep. Rob Pittenger (R-N.C.) in the primary. The district borders South Carolina, extending east from Charlotte.

The state is investigating, though, potential voting irregularities including reports of people showing up at home to collect absentee ballots; North Carolina voters are alerted on voting materials that elections officials will never come to a home to pick up a ballot. Sworn affidavits say a local political player was “doing absentee” for Harris and was poised to receive a $40,000 bonus if the Republican won, local station WSOC reported.

The North Carolina State Board of Elections voted 7-2 today to hold a hearing by Dec. 21 "to assure the election is determined without taint of fraud or corruption."

Emma Shipman signed a sworn affidavit saying a woman came by her house and took her ballot. The ballot was in an unsealed envelope. Shipman never signed it. She says she votes every election and never imagined being part of an investigation #NC09@wsoctvpic.twitter.com/6xpS42wYU0

Shipman has no idea who the woman was or how she found her. Shipman lives in a town named Tar Heel. Population 117 in 2010. She practically lives in the woods and down an unpaved road. She never has unexpected visitors #NC09@wsoctvpic.twitter.com/cNWQmBfBpp

The North Carolina Republican Party said Thursday night that they would go to court if the state board didn't certify a win for Harris today. "There are simply not enough absentee ballots in question to change the result," the party said. "Mark Harris was elected to Congress. Mark Harris is going to Congress. Democrats don't get a do-over based on unverified rumors that were not even put in an official election protest as required by law."